BEAST

We used to call him Ben, buddy, brother, buffalo....now it's BEAST. Beast has had a stellar week of getting into absolutely everything. I swear I could work for HASMAT doing distaster clean-up. Aside from dumping videos & games, biting all the apples in the fridge, and stripping off his diaper to pee in the kitchen, Beast has started to "color color" and he's taken it to grandma's walls, doors, and fireplace. Quite liberally, I might add. Rest assured this momma buys washable art supplies and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers so no home or child has been damaged due to unleashed creativity.

Thanks to Beast, Chris is becoming a very handy plumber. Yet again, We had the opportunity to completely remove a toilet in order to retrieve a flushed item. Last time it was a princess cell phone, then it was the top to a one of the kids' water bottles, and who knows what it was this time around. I have a feeling that if it happens again, Beast is gonna get the flush because poppa ain't a fan of poop. Note the safety goggles he's wearing.... So Ben was introduced to the "Naughty Spot" this week. The "Naughty Spot" is the little red chair we use for time outs. At first, I thought for sure he got it (SEE TOP PHOTO), but then he started laughing and naming body parts...

Toilet, take 2 ( take 1 was in our old house...)

Toilet, take 3

WILDCATS

I had the pleasure of taking Nick and Olivia on a little date this week....we went to High School Musical: THE ICE TOUR at the civic center. We had a blast!!! Since Olivia is in Brownies, we were able to get special "club seating" through the Girl Scouts. She and I went early for the "meet-n-greet" where she had her picture taken with the skater who plays Sharpay. We dined on concession food for dinner, took lots of pictures, and played HSM trivia. Nick arrived later with my girlfriend, Collette, and her two boys. The show started and it was really fun! We all sang along-even I know the soundtracks for all three movies. At times Nick was almost more entertaining than the show- that kid was groovin and singing in his seat during all of his favorite songs. We made a treat run during intermission....I quickly determined that cotton candy prices have gone up when I plunked out $20 for two bags of fluffy sugar!

It was a fun night and we all had a good time together. Second to Chris, there is no one else I would rather date than my kiddies!!! XOXOXO

MOMMA'S BOY

Not too long ago, Nick was really a behavioral challenge. We've all been through alot lately, but Nick was taking it to the next level. He was defiant and sassy and lashing out at Ben for every little thing. He was sleeping poorly and started wetting the bed so on top of being naughty, he was totally exhausted. Chris and I were losing our minds, trying to figure out what was going on with him. Then one night, while talking to my mom in total frustration, she reminded me that "the kid with the worst behavior needs the most love." I thought about that for a little while and then it all dawned on me. I felt bad for not recognizing the problem earlier. What kind of a mother am I? Am I that out of touch? How come I didn't see it?

This little peanut is 100% mine. Has been since the day he was born. Of all the people in the world, he will choose his momma for love, attention, talk time, date night, or back scratching over anyone else. He is the softest, most sensitive sweetest little boy, much like his daddy was when he was little. I love my Nicky to pieces and it hurts me to know how hard life has been for him, now that his mommy is working! It really hasn't phased the other kids, but for Nick, it has obviously been traumatic! We went from being together every day all day to seeing each other for only few minutes in the morning. Sometimes we go a couple of days without hanging out together. No wonder he is acting up, he feels abandoned by his mom! Unfortunately, he doesn't totally understand why I need to work, so that makes things even harder. Every morning he wakes up early and sits in the bathroom with me while I get ready to go. He follows me around the house while I gather my stuff, asking when I will be home. He kisses me at least five times before following me out to the car, then another kiss or two and he still can hardly stand to see me drive away. I call to check on him during the day and every once in a while, Chris brings the boys to the hospital to have lunch with me in the cafeteria. Nick would come every day to have cheese sticks and rootbeer with me if he could. I wish he could. It would make my days easier, too, being able to see him.

Since realizing what was "really" going on with him, we've made some changes and he seems to be feeling much better. I am making a conscious effort to spend a little time with him as often as possible, doing whatever he wants to do. I make sure to ask him about every little thing he does in school and let him help me cook dinner. We cuddle, tickle and read together a little more often and I am happy to slump against the wall and rest while he dances and performs for me. He's a good kid, a sweet kid, and I hope he will forgive me for not understanding what was going on with him sooner. I love you, buddy, more than you know. Momma will be home again soon, I promise! XOXOXO

PROUD PARENT

Today Olivia's class went on a field trip to a neighborhood bank. There is a lady from the bank who has been teaching a Junior Achievement lessons to them and today was the day they were able to visit her at the bank where she works. Nick and I went along as chaperones and had a really nice afternoon. The kids were good and really had fun. They loved the treats and gold dollar coins they were given. When we got back to the school, the class wrote thankyou notes and nick was able to sit at the empty desk next to Olivia and write one, too. I could tell by the look on his face that he was thrilled to be a second-grader, even if only for an hour!

The best part of the day though, was when we first arrived at the school. The kids were lining up to leave when Olivia's teacher approached me with a big smile on her face and pulled me out into the hallway. She said, "Now, I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but do you remember the standardized testing we did with the kids a few weeks ago? Well, the results came back and I want you to know that Olivia did very, very well. Extremely well. Unbelievably well. She has a very high I.Q. and you should consider having her tested for gifted education." I stood there with a big goofy grin on my face as she continued, "I have to turn in all the test results today but I want to show you her results before I do so. I want to talk to you about some things you should be doing with her at home. You have no idea how lucky you are." At that very moment,  and only for a second, I wanted a bumper sticker that said,"Proud parent of a Wilson Elementary Honor Student!" Is there anything better that a parent can hear from their child's teacher other than that they are excelling in school? We have always known she is a smart little cookie. She reads well, excels at math and remembers everything she has ever been told. (This can be good and bad!) We really haven't had to worry much about her in the school department, other than making sure her homework gets done and then the morning ritual of dragging her out of bed...I have, however, wondered about her a bit this year since she has been complaining of "being so bored" and just "doing nothing" all day. This year she hasn't seemed to enjoy the school work much and now after talking to her teacher, I think I get it. She really is bored out of her mind.
After school her teacher reviewed the test results with me and discussed several things that we can do with her at home to challenge and stretch her learning. I talked with Liv about it and she is willing to implement a few new things into our daily routine. We have new math websites to work on and a few other things that I am hoping will help her get her spark back when it comes to school. We are going to be doing more cooking(fractions), weaving(small crafts for hand-eye coordination and patterns), memorizing of her piano pieces, and start having spelling tests at home. She is a hardworker, focused and diligent, when she is doing something she loves and I think she will enjoy all of it. I hope that someday she realizes how wonderful it is to be able to learn and think and read about so many wonderful things and be able to comprehend it all so easily. She does have a special gift; a good memory and a curious mind will make every day of her life more meaningful and interesting. Throw in her sweet personality and big heart and she is already a helpful, generous, creative little person of whom we couldn't be more proud. Is there room for all of that on a bumper sticker?